How to Alleviate or Prevent Pregnancy Backaches?

Backache is a common problem among pregnant women. Bad body postures and movements can aggravate your backache during pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to learn healthy movements and postures. Certain exercises and home remedies can help relieve this problem.

Stretching of the muscles of your back helps alleviate pregnancy backache. Do these exercises 10-15 times, twice daily. Sit on a chair, keeping your back straight and curve your back backwards to stretch the muscles. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times. You can perform the exercise while you stand up, keeping the hands on your hip.

How to Correct Body Postures During Pregnancy? - Part 2

How to stand and walk?

During pregnancy, most women tend to bend the back backwards while standing up as their abdomens enlarge gradually. Therefore, this posture pushes the enlarged abdomen forwards and strains the muscles of the back. Keeping the back and the shoulders straight while standing up helps reduce the back pain. It is better to maintain this erect posture and swing your hands well, when you walk as well. You should look forward and do not focus on the ground while walking, because this helps you to keep up your posture.

How to Correct Body Postures During Pregnancy? - Part 1

Correct body postures and movements are essential factors for our well-being. During pregnancy, a woman experiences various changes in her body. Therefore, most women tend to keep up incorrect body movements and postures, which affect their health and well-being during pregnancy.

Pregnant women need to maintain correct body postures and movements, because it helps minimise body aches, pains, and discomforts during pregnancy. It also helps a woman to have a healthy childbirth and achieve the body shape following her pregnancy. However, it is important to follow correct body movements and postures before as well as after pregnancy.

How to Prevent a UTI?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are relatively common among women compared to men. Because of the shorter distance between the urethral opening and the bladder, they are more prone to get UTIs. Their urethra and the anus are also in close proximity, raising the risk of UTI further.

Certain lifestyle modifications help prevent urinary tract infections in both men and women, while some prevent UTIs, especially in females.

UTI: Treatments

Doctors usually offer antibiotics to manage urinary tract infections (UTIs). The type of the antibiotic and the duration of the treatment depend on the type of bacteria found in the urine and your health condition.

Single isolated urinary tract infection

A single isolated UTI can be treated with an antibiotic. However, it is important to collect a urine sample for culture before antibiotic therapy.

Doctors offer an antibiotic for three to five days for a simple urinary tract infection. Symptoms of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection usually disappear in a few days of therapy. Amoxicillin, Nitrofurantoin, Trimethoprim, or a type of antibiotics called cephalosporin can be used for the initial therapy. Sometimes, the treatment regimen is modified according to the urine culture and sensitivity test, and/or the clinical response.

UTI: Complications and Diagnosis

If a urinary tract infection (UTI) is managed properly, it usually resolves without any complications. However, untreated UTIs, especially upper urinary tract infections, can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, prompt and proper diagnosis and management are important factors for a good outcome.

Complications

Untreated urinary tract infections can cause following complications.

• An untreated UTI can lead to an acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term) upper urinary tract infection (pyelonephritis), and consequently, results in permanent kidney damage.

• Recurrent urinary tract infections (it is a common problem, especially among women, who got three or more episodes of UTIs.)

• Untreated UTIs can increase the risk of delivering premature or low birth-weight infants.

Who Is at Risk of UTI?

Certain factors can increase the risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI). Some risk factors can be modified while others cannot be changed. However, certain lifestyle modifications and measures help lower the risk for UTI.

Being female

Urinary tract infections are common among females compared to males. The distance between the urethral opening and the bladder is shorter in women than in men. Therefore, their urethra increases the ability of bacteria to enter the bladder. The anus and the urethra are also situated within close proximity in females than males. It also raises the risk of UTI among women.

Urinary Tract Infection: Causes

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) usually occur due to bacteria, which enter the urinary tract via the urethra. Certain bacteria from the own bowel flora, live on the skin around the perineum. They can ascend and multiply in the urethra and the bladder. Sometimes, the bacteria can spread from the blood stream or the lymphatics to the urinary tract.

The urinary tract is designed to avoid the invading bacteria. Sometimes, these defence mechanisms can fail. Therefore, bacteria grow in the urinary tract, causing a UTI. There are several defence mechanisms to avoid urinary tract infections. They are:

How to Recognise a Urinary Tract Infection?

An infection, which occurs in any part of the urinary tract, is known as a urinary tract infection (UTI). It can take place in the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. The majority of urinary tract infections involve the lower part of the urinary tract (the bladder and the urethra). UTI is common in women compared to men. It usually occurs in an anatomically normal urinary tract in females. It is uncommon in children and men. Their infections are often associated with an abnormal urinary tract. Therefore, they need further investigation.

How to Manage Pre-diabetes in Children?

Pre-diabetes is a well-known risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pre-diabetes and diabetes are also strongly linked with obesity. Therefore, prevention of this condition includes maintenance of a healthy body weight to avoid obesity. If an adult with pre-diabetes follows lifestyle modifications and takes medications to avoid diabetes mellitus, reduction in the risk has been noted(1). However, none of the studies has demonstrated how to avoid the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes in adolescents and children so far.

If your child has pre-diabetes, certain lifestyle modifications will help bring the blood-sugar level to normal. They will at least prevent the progression to diabetes mellitus.

Is Your Child at Risk of Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. Some health-care experts consider pre-diabetes as a disease. Certain adults (five to ten per cent) with this condition normally advance to type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, adolescents and children with pre-diabetes have an ability to return to normal than adults.

Certain factors increase the risk of pre-diabetes in children. They include both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.

What Are Keloid Scars?

A wound usually leaves a scar following its healing process. A keloid is also a kind of scar. Keloid scars grow too much and usually become larger compared to the original wound. They are characterised by hard nodules with smooth surfaces because of excessive production of a protein called collagen. Keloids may occur spontaneously or follow a skin trauma or surgery. They are generally itchy.

Sometimes, scars can achieve a little lumpy appearance. This process is known as hypertrophy.

How to Treat Dysmenorrhoea?

Menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhoea) are curable. Your physician may offer certain medications to relieve your pain. Sometimes, you may need surgery, if medications do not work well. Some home remedies and lifestyle changes also help manage the condition.

Medications

The following medications are considered for women with dysmenorrhoea.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs help relieve pain during your menstruation. Menstrual cramps occur due to a type of chemical substances called prostaglandins, which are secreted by the lining of the uterus (endometrium) during the menstruation. NSAIDs inhibit the production of prostaglandins and lessen the effect.

Dysmenorrhoea: Risk Factors and Diagnosis

Risk factors of menstrual cramps

Some factors can increase the risk of developing dysmenorrhoea (menstrual cramps). Risk factors, which are linked with menstrual cramps, include:

• Cigarette smoking
• Prolonged menstrual blood flow (more than five days)
• Younger the normal age (11 years or younger) at menarche (onset of puberty)
• Age 20 years or less
• Heavy menstrual bleeding (menorrhagia)
• Irregular menstrual periods (metrorrhagia)
• Family history of menstrual cramps
• Never having given birth to a child.

Dysmenorrhoea (Menstrual Cramps)

Dysmenorrhoea is described simply as a pain during menstruation. It is a very common symptom, which is experienced by 45-95 % of females of reproductive age.

Menstrual cramps appear like throbbing, cramping, or dull pains in the lower part of the abdomen. The pain can go to your thighs and the lower back too. Some women with dysmenorrhoea experience loose stools, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and increased sweating.

Menstrual cramps usually begin at the onset of or just before the menstruation and last about eight hours to three days every month. For some females, it is only an irritable feeling. However, some women experience a severe pain, which affects their daily routines for several days each month.

Pre-diabetes: Development in Children

Pre-diabetes is a well-known risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It also is considered as a disease by itself (1). Five to ten per cent of adults with this disease usually advance to diabetes mellitus. However, children and adolescents, who are with pre-diabetes, can turn back to normal compared to adults.

The rate of pre-diabetes varies according to the definition used, race, and age. Considerable variations in prevalence depend on whether pre-diabetes described by IFG (impaired fasting glucose) or IGT (impaired glucose tolerance). The occurrence of IFG is 13-40 % (2,3,4), while the rate of IGT is 2-5 % in children (5). About 20 % of children have HbA1c levels of 5.7-6.4 % (6). The frequency of pre-diabetes is considerably greater in obese pubertal children, who are with a family history of pre-diabetes.

How Do You Know You Have Pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes

Pre-diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance is described by blood-glucose levels, which are raised above the upper normal value, but below the limit (threshold) for diabetes mellitus. It is important to diagnose pre-diabetes early, because it helps assess the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and stop the progression to diabetes and cardiovascular disease later in life.

Exercise and Your Heart Rate

During exercise, working tissues in your body usually need more blood with oxygen and nutrients. Then, your heart enhances its pumping activity by increasing the heart rate and the force of contraction (contractility). It is necessary to raise the heart rate within a certain range (target heart rate/THR) for maximum health benefits. Therefore, you should maintain your heart rate within THR during the workout. Exceeding THR is likely to harm you and your heart. It will put your health at risk.

Angina and Workout

Angina is a symptom of ischaemic heart disease. It is a central chest pain, which is usually described as ‘gripping’, ‘heavy’, or ‘tight’. Anginal pain may go to the arms and/or jaw. It can range from a mild ache to a very severe pain, which provokes fear and increased sweating. Sometimes, it may be associated with shortness of breath.

Usually, angina develops during physical or mental exertion. It disappears by stopping physical exertion or using glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). The main cause of angina is a narrowing of a coronary artery or its branch by fat deposits in the arterial wall (atherosclerosis or plaque build-up). Two coronary arteries and their branches supply blood to the heart muscle (myocardium). Atherosclerosis can partially occlude a coronary artery, causing insufficient blood flow to a particular part of the heart muscle. During an exercise, the heart works hard to pump more blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the working tissues. Therefore, the myocardium needs more oxygen, which is not sufficient in angina.

How to Recognise Ischaemic Heart Disease?

The heart muscle (myocardium) receives its blood supply with oxygen and nutrients through two main arteries (coronary arteries) and their branches. Partial or total occlusion of a main coronary artery or a branch can lead to an impaired blood supply to a part of the myocardium. An incomplete occlusion of the blood supply usually causes myocardial ischaemia. However, a total occlusion can lead to death of the particular part of the myocardium (infarction). These processes are known as ischaemic heart disease.

Ischaemic heart disease can weaken the ability of the heart to pump blood throughout your body. It mainly occurs due to narrowing of the coronary arteries by fat (cholesterol) deposits in their walls. This process is known as atherosclerosis or atheroma formation.